Top 10 Maple Leaf Match Ups In October

With the weather cooling down, the Canadian fight scene is starting to heat up. This might be a top 10 list but with the amount of quality fights on Canadian soil and abroad featuring Canadian talent, this easily could have been a Top 20 and still some tremendous match ups would have been left out. There is no less then 10 events taking place in the great fight north with Canadians also battling outside our borders in fantastic fights.

As always, we must mentions the usual Zuffa disclaimer, since any fight under the Zuffa fold will receive its own break down and be dissected to pieces on Top MMA Radio and in the comment section the TMLM will only feature fights outside of Zuffa LLC.

Now, without further adieu, let’s get to what you are all here to see, October’s Top 10 Maple Leaf Match Ups:

10. Jordan Beecroft (4-0) @BlitzBeecroft vs. Brad Stewart (4-2)Fivestar Fight League 2 – Prince George – October 19
Prince George, British Columbia MMA fans will be treated to a tremendous tussle when Beecroft and Stewart face off in the FFL cage. Beecroft, a member of Champions Choice MMA, currently sports an unblemished 4-0 record with wins over the likes of Cory Tosoff and Jared McComb. Stewart, a Fort Saint John, BC native, started off his professional career with a bang – going 4-0 scoring wins over Allen Hope and Elmer Waterhen before a two fight losing skid had him take time away from the cage. Both men seem to enjoy ending fights quick and violently evident by both having two TKO finishes in the first five minutes. Come October 19th, fans will witness who is the top Middleweight prospect to come out of British Columbia and who will take that next step in their career.

Just eight days away from fight time and Julia Budd received the news her much anticipated bout with Elaina Maxwell is off as Maxwell suffered a concussion in training and in steps Danielle “The Honey Badger” West. Budd, a protege of Lance Gibson, will look for second straight win inside the Invicta cage already having dispatched Elina Nilsson via first round TKO in her promotional debut. West, a native Bostonian who now resides in England, has fought her entire career abroad and for the first time will fight on home soil. West last saw action in April of this year for ProFC where she was TKO’d rather quickly in the first round. Budd has a sizeable advantage in the skill and speed department but West, who’s recorded weight is 155 lbs, could hold a slight strength advantage. Either way, this is Budd’s fight to lose as she has fought better and sterner competition. Considering West is a last minute replacement, Budd will look for a highlight reel finish to prove she still belongs as one of the best in the 145 lbs division.

8. Jesse Gross (6-3) vs. Seiji Sugiman-Marangos (5-1)Score Fighting Series – Sarnia – October 19
Two of Ontario’s most promising Featherweights will meet in Sarnia to determine who is ready to take the next step in their career. Sugiman-Marangos, a Shah Franco/Innercity MMA product, is currently riding a four fight win streak but has been fairly inactive of late. Gross, a protege of ATC, was a terror on the regional Ontario scene and quickly amassed a 6-0 record before an 0-3 skid reared its ugly head in the tail end of 2011. Both men have been inactive since 2011 and look to restart their careers when they face off across the ring. For Sugiman-Marangos, this bout is way to put his name on the Canadian Featherweight map as a solid record is one thing but a signature win can get you noticed quick. Gross will be looking to reinvent himself at Featherweight and find his former form that allowed him to capture six wins a row all by way of TKO. It will be Gross’ wrestling versus Sugiman-Marangos sub game and only one man will be smiling at the end.

7. Chad Laprise (5-0) @ChadLaprise vs. Ainsley Robinson (5-1)Bellator 76 – Windsor – October 12
In 2008, Robinson burst onto the scene picking up a 4-1 record in 10 months before stepping away from the sport for four years. Fast forward from 2008 to 2010 when Laprise made his professional debut and he hasn’t thought of stopping, amassing an unblemished 5-0 record. Even though a few years separate their careers, only a few feet will separate them when the cage door closes. Laprise, who comes out of ATC, will hold the speed and striking advantage as he finished 4 of his 5 wins via TKO in round 1. Robinson, a coach at Elite Training Centre, is a former Olympian and multiple time wrestling champion who will definitely hold the advantage on the mat. It’s not necessarily striker vs grappler as Laprise holds a submission win and trains with beasts on the canvas at ATC and Robinson already has three wins by TKO. This will be a battle of wills. Will Robinson relive his former athletic glory and breakout as a Lightweight to beat or will Laprise continue his unbeaten streak and continue the lineage of top ten potent strikers from the Adrenaline Training Centre?

One of Canada’s most underrated Welterweights will clash with a undeniable rising prospect from Las Vegas’ Xtreme Couture. Dewsberry, a protege of the Canadian Martial Arts Centre, has quickly amassed an impressive win streak in the last 12 months earning victories over the likes of Nolan Clark, Chris St Jean and Nabil Khatib. Sin City’s own Smith started his amateur career in 2010 compiling a 4-0-1 record before turning pro this year already defeating TUF veterans Brandon Melendez and Kyacey Uscola. Game plan will be the key to victory in this contest as Smith is the classic Xtreme Couture grinder with an impressive top game while Dewsberry, an all around fighter, has been known to get comfortable looking for the submission off his back. Both men possess great conditioning and considering the pedigree of their respective camps, Lethbridge MMA fans should expect the unexpected.

5. Graham Spencer (8-1) @GSpence145 vs. Shane Nelson @SugarShane808 (15-6)MFC 35: Explosive Encounter – Edmonton – October 26
After eight months on the shelf, Canadian MMA fans will finally get to see our nation’s fourth ranked Featherweight in action as he takes on his sternest test to date. Spencer, a member of Impact MMA Nanaimo, has already many quality wins including victories over Mukai Maromo, Bruno Capdeville and Shawn Albrecht twice. Nelson, a Honolulu, Hawaii native and UFC veteran, will bring a tone of experience into this tilt including victories over Harris Sarmiento, George Roop and Aaron Riley. For both men this is a tough fight. Both combatants have strong submission skills and solid top position grappling and neither are known as potent strikers but Nelson would be given then edge in that department. Considering this tilt will build the foundation for the MFC’s Featherweight division, Pavelich couldn’t have picked two better guys to give fans 15 minutes of pure excitement.

It might only be one fight, but attached are a lot of story lines. First off Davis, considered by some to be Canada’s top Flyweight, has reeled off five straight wins including a win over Corey Lautischer for the first Canadian Flyweight title. Wilson, a former five in a row winner, has lost two straight to the creme de la creme of Canada’s Bantamweight division – John Fraser and Josh Hill. With the recent success of the former and the rough patch of the latter, this 130 lbs catchweight tilt has just got a whole lot more interesting. With such a short career, big fights, losses and long lay offs, is Wilson’s head really in the game? Can Davis live up to the hype and finally notch that signature win? Bright lights are on the line for Davis while Wilson will be looking to reignite his flame.

3. John Fraser (10-4) @JohnFraserMMA vs. Tyler Toner @TylerToner (13-4)Score Fighting Series – Sarnia – October 19
Fresh off his first loss in three years, “The Haggis Basher” will step right back into the cage against another one of the toughest tests of his career in UFC veteran Tyler Toner. Fraser, a head coach at Supreme Martial Arts, is currently ranked as the fifth ranked Bantamweight but will now return to his former weight of 145 lbs and will look to regain his former form that won him the W-1 Featherweight title and Wreck Bantamweight title. Toner, a member of the Grudge Training Center, is a WEC and UFC veteran who has scored big wins over Nick Mamalis and Brandon Visher. Both men are proven finishers with Fraser ending all ten of his wins between the bells – 9 by way if sub and 1 by TKO while Toner ended 7 of his 13 wins by TKO and 3 by way of submission. Both men enter this contest on the heels of a loss and now look to Sarnia, Ontario to give their careers a rebirth.

It’s not often a fight promoter gives fans and pundits alike a fight they want and a fight that cements rankings but in Rama versus Fortin that’s exactly what we get. The saying “no rest for the wicked” fits Ram like a glove. Since starting his pro career in February, Rama has quickly dispatched four quality Heavyweights and now has his eyes set on his sturdiest test to date. Fortin, better known as the “Vanilla Gorilla”, has already defeated the likes of Dan Severn and Raphael Bergmann, with a 12 month hiatus coming to an end is itching to make it back to the cage. With Rama fighting so often, our Heavyweight rankings haven’t had a chance to keep up but in Fortin he challenges the 3rd ranked behemoth. We know a shot at Mike Hackert is on the line, so a Rama could become Canada’a number 1 ranked big man in less then 12 months of professional competition if he can pull off wins in his next two fights. Rama better not look that far ahead though as Fortin is no slouch and is just as capable of KOing his opponents as he is submitting them. Come October 26th, fans all over the world, thanks to AXStv, will get to see what the Canadian Heavyweight divison has to offer.

1. Lyndon Whitlock @LyndonWhitlock (7-2) vs. Rick Glenn @GladiatorGlenn (11-2)Score Fighting Series – Sarnia – October 19
In the last SFS event Rick Glenn impressed everyone with his second round TKO while Whitlock was forced to watch from the VIP seats as his opponent pulled out the day before. Now, two months later, they meet in the co-main event to see who is the top 145 lbs dog in the Score Fighting Series. Glenn, who trains out of Roufusport, is currently riding a nine fight unbeaten streak and demonstrated superb striking technique and speed in his handling of Tristan Johnson last fight. Whitlock, a man of many camps in the GTA of late, bounced back after a disappointing loss to the aforementioned Johnson with a highlight reel KO of Cory Houston. Now everyone knows MMA math never works out, so this will definitely not be a walk through for Glenn. Whitlock will bring tremendous top control and unmatched striking power to cage, while Glenn’s speed and technique could pose problem for Lyndon. It will either be Glenn who hits first or Whitlock who lands last – either way the fans will be the big winner in this one!

GLENN VS WHITLOCK , COME ON , WHITLOCK S LAST FIGHT WAS KNOCKED OUT BY JOHNSON WHOM JUST LOST TO GLENN . I LIKE LYNDON BUT BEFORE WE CONSIDER HIM ON GLENNS LEVEL MABE HE NEEDS TO FIGHT BETTER COMPETITION AND WIN ! I CANT BELIEVE YOU HAVE THIS FIGHT AT # 1 , GOOD LUCK LYNDON YOU ARE GOING TO NEED IT !

@BTP YOU ARE RIGHT BUT CORY WAS HIS BIGGEST WIN IN MY OPINION AND TO MATCH EM UP WITH GLENN INSTEAD OF GLENN AND HORODECKI AND MAKE IT TOPMMANEWS # OCTOBER MATCHUP IS CRAZY . HORODECKI NOT EVEN ON THIS LIST AGAINST HACKNEY , SOMEONE IS SMOKING BETTER SHIT THAN ME.

MISHA VS WARDOG NOT ON THIS LIST ( AND IT SHOULD NOT BE ) HELL THAT FIGHTS GOT MORE PROMO THEN THE BUNNYRANCH HERE IN CARSON/TAHOE !

@SMASH – I TRIED TO RETIRE FROM THIS SITE BUT SOME OF US LOVE THIS SHIT SO GO FUCKYOURSELF TOO.

REMEMBER I CANT SEE WELL AND THE SHIT IM SMOKING HELPS ME TO FORGET BUT THE HOUSTON FIGHT I DID SEE ON SFS , THIS CRONIK THAT THE DOC GIVES ME MIGHT BE TOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOD ! SORRY I FORGOT . I DONT SEE IT #1 NO MATTER HOW MUCH I SMOKE !

CORY HOUSTON IS NO TRISTAN JOHNSON BUT YOU ARE RIGHT WOODY ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN . HEY WOODY HOW COME THE HORODECKI BEING CALLED OUT BY GLENN DIDNT HAPPEN THIS TIME ? I LIKE WHITLOCK JUST THINK GLENN WILL GET THE KO IN 1 LIKE TRISTAN DID .

Horodecki vs hackney was all set before glen called him out. Im a huge fan of all guys, im sure after oct 19 the FW division is gonna look great
Fraser/toner
Whitlock/glen
Horodecki/hackney
Gross/seiji
Hervey/britto both discussed the move down in weight

whitlock vs glenn will be a great fight…sure , it is a step up for lyndon….But thats the direction you want to go…also very anxious to see davis vs wilson, and how eric comes back after back to back losses , wish him well…

Fraser gets screwed over again by yves the-absolute-worst-ref-going lavigne, and his next fight – in his hometown – is not the top mathch to watch??? I understand that Toner has agreed to get in the cage with Fraser, but he will look back at this as the worst mistake he has ever made